Neoplax ophiodes Bell, 1884

Boissin, Emilie, Hoareau, Thierry B., Paulay, Gustav & Bruggemann, J. Henrich, 2016, Shallow-water reef ophiuroids (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) of Réunion (Mascarene Islands), with biogeographic considerations, Zootaxa 4098 (2), pp. 273-297 : 276-277

Neoplax ophiodes Bell, 1884 complex

(UF 6535, Fig. 2 b,c, KU594358 )

Material. 1 spm, St 7.

Remarks. The genus Neoplax has elongated ventral arm spines, spiniform oral papillae, and short spines on the disk. It does not have the glassy, denticulate oral papillae of Ophiomyxa .

The genus includes two species, this one described from the Seychelles and N. crassipes Koehler, 1922 . The latter can be distinguished by the much larger ventralmost spines on the arm. The colour pattern of the specimen from Reunion is distinctive, differs from the unpatterned disk reported by Bell (1884), but is shared by a second specimen collected from Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia (UF 8517). The two specimens are also very similar in structural characters, but are differentiated at ~10% in their COI sequences (Tim O’Hara, unpublished), suggesting that they may be part of a species complex. Both specimens were collected among coral rubble at 13–16 m depth on fore reefs. Abundance: 1.

Distribution. Recorded from the Seychelles ( Bell, 1884), Mauritius ( Bell, 1909) and Reunion ( Guille & Ribes, 1981), and now Queensland, Australia.

a) Astroboa nuda in situ; b) Neoplax ophiodes ; c) Neoplax ophiodes oral side; photo of preserved specimen d) Ophiactis savignyi ; e) Ophiactis quadrispina ; f) Ophiactis modesta ; g) Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) trilineata ; h) Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) trilineata ; i) Macrophiothrix longipeda

Figures

FIGURE 2. Pictures of species encountered in Réunion Island waters. Pictures were taken of freshly collected specimens except when indicated. Photo credit: BIOTAS.